civility

noun

ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvi-lə-tē How to pronounce civility (audio)
plural civilities
1
a
: civilized conduct
especially : courtesy, politeness
bemoaned the decline of civility in our politics
b
: a polite act or expression
lacked the little civilities and hypocrisies of political societyRoy Jenkins
The men briefly exchanged civilities before the meeting began.
2
archaic : training in the humanities

Examples of civility in a Sentence

They greeted each other with the usual exchange of civilities. after the usual civilities, the parents and the principal had a serious talk about the boy
Recent Examples on the Web For many Republican suburban moms flocking to Haley's rallies, a lack of civility is what is most bothersome about Trump. USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2024 Russia also wants to maintain a modicum of civility with Israel, which is host to a sizable Russian-speaking population and might offer Ukraine military support in the future. Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2024 Most people, Miss Manners dares say, would have been grateful to be left out of such conversations — but not to be talked over, which is the point where your fellow passengers failed to meet the standards of civility. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024 True civility requires an attitudinal transformation. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 Kelly and Parson participated in a joint public service announcement last year urging civility in politics. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2024 Most seriously, amid the emotions laid bare by the Gaza conflict, some college campuses have devolved to the point where students who disagree cannot muster the civility to speak with one another. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 24 Jan. 2024 Attempting to dismiss antisemitism endangers not just civility but our common humanity. Jason Lantzer, National Review, 27 Jan. 2024 And that wasn’t the only waste of time or insult to civility that set off Dettloff and others. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'civility.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see civil

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of civility was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near civility

Cite this Entry

“Civility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civility. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

civility

noun
ci·​vil·​i·​ty sə-ˈvil-ət-ē How to pronounce civility (audio)
plural civilities
1
: civilized conduct
2
: a polite act or expression

More from Merriam-Webster on civility

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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